RR vs LSG Preview: Samson, Boult give Rajasthan a winning start

Rajasthan Royals welcomed Lucknow Super Giants at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on March 24, Sunday. RR won the toss and opted to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal (24 off 12) provided a solid start, with Sanju Samson (82 off 52) and Riyan Parag (43 off 29) stitching a 92-run stand. With the help of Dhruv Jurel’s quick 20 off 12 finish, RR posted a competitive total of 193 losing 4 wickets. For LSG, Naveen-ul-Haq (2/41) and picked the most wickets.

Chasing the target, LSG dealt an early blow as Trent Boult removed Quinton de Kock (4 off 5) and Devdutt Padikkal (0) departed early. KL Rahul (58 off 44) and Deepak Hooda (26 off 13) steadied their ship but Hooda could not survive till the end. Nicholas Pooran (64* off 41) had to bat out of skin to surpass the required run rate but he eventually succumbed against Sandeep Sharma and Avesh Khan’s guile as the hosts emerged victorious by 20 runs.

Top Performers of the Match

Sanju Samson (82 off 52)

Sanju Samson was on song when he came out to bat at number three. His innings hold much more importance given RR had lost both of their openers and required a foundation to build upon. His innings was laced with six maximums and three boundaries. His partnership with Riyan Parag was the key factor in Rajasthan Royals staying competent in the match.

Sandeep Sharma (1 for 22 / 3 overs)

Sandeep Sharma commenced his spell when KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran were looking deadly as they smelled the boundary of every ball. He started with a five-run over for the 15th over. He later went on to pluck the decisive wicket of KL Rahul and turned the match in RR’s favor. As he was up for 19th over, he conceded just nine runs.

What’s next for both teams?

Rajasthan Royals will host Delhi Capitals in Match 9 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on March 28. Whereas Lucknow Super Giants will host Punjab Kings in Match 11 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on March 30.